School Holidays at Martindale Hall | Clare | Review

Over the school holidays in the Clare Valley we escaped into a bygone era, searched for clues, solved mysteries and enjoyed exploring Martindale Hall with the Junior Detective program.

Review by Angelica-Hazel Toutounji

Martindale Hall is a nineteenth century country mansion in the picturesque Clare Valley, that is beautiful and brimming with history. It’s the type of place where you feel that time has stood still and a fantastic inclusion to any Clare Valley itinerary with kids. Located in the gorgeous country town of Mintaro, Martindale Hall is the Grand Dame of the region and a great way to see a snapshot of the lavish lifestyle led by the upper-class of their time.

Set amongst the rolling hills of Clare, on spacious grounds surrounded by nature, Martindale Hall is a treasure you need to see for yourself. As soon as we arrived, the children made a bee-line for the grassy hill to run around and ultimately roll down it. Pulling them away from their outdoor fun, we made our way to the front of the manor, climbed the steps and made our way inside. We were drawn to visit for the Junior Detective program that is offered during the school holidays but outside these times it’s still worth a visit and kids can pick up a Children’s University stamp for their time.

Stepping foot inside we took our time exploring the rooms with our papers in hand. Junior Detective children have certain items to search for throughout the manor and the activity encourages them to think about what objects are made with and where they might be hiding. Our children loved the smoking room with Ancient Egyptian items, the multiple tea room set ups and the bathrooms with incredibly deep baths.

All of the rooms are set up with interesting items and there are information plaques dotted throughout the mansion so you can learn more. Something that we found particularly interesting is the Mortlock connection as our children love visiting the Mortlock Wing in the State library of South Australia. The Georgian-style manor was built by Edmund Bowman in 1879, completed in 1880 and the Bowman family called Martindale Hall home for almost eleven years until they fell into financial decline. After that time the Mortlock family purchased the estate and continued to manage the property. In 1913 William Ranson Mortlock passed away and his son, John Andrew Tennant Mortlock inherited Martindale Hall. John Andrew was committed to preserving the grandeur of Martindale Hall and was also invested in South Australia’s intellectual and cultural growth through the establishment of a trust. He generously supported the Waite Institute, the State Library and ultimately bequeathed Martindale Hall and the surrounding land to the South Australian Government. Today Martindale Hall serves as a tourism destination and events venue. 

After we spent an enjoyable hour exploring the mansion and had the children’s passports stamped, we went outside and saw a bunch of wild kangaroos next to the property, which was so special for the kids! The old mansion might not be the first destination you think of for an activity with kids but it’s a great insight into the past, an opportunity to learn about history and a beautiful sight to see.

We loved our visit to Martindale Hall and would jump at the chance to visit again, especially for a high tea. Depending on your children’s interest and temperament we found the activity good for ages five and above. We also left the pram in the car and took a carrier for the baby. There are quite a few stairs so this is important to note for people with mobility issues. The house is also a little bit dark inside so important to mention for people with vision impairments.

Overall we recommend adding Martindale Hall to your Clare Valley itinerary. We would love to return in warm weather and start or finish our visit with a picnic on the grass.

What we liked about it:

• The beautiful old mansion, fun program for kids and gorgeous country setting 

Things to consider:

• Martindale Hall is old and has stairs so it’s best to leave the pram behind

Our favourite nearby coffee spots/cafes:

• We loved Just Julie’s Cafe in Clare and Velvet & Willow for coffee

Location:

1127B Min-Man Road, Mintaro

You can follow Martindale Hall on Facebook & Instagram.

DISCOVER MORE TO SEE AND DO IN THE CLARE VALLEY

For more information, admission prices and all enquiries please visit the Martindale Hall website.

At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.

As per all our Play & Go reviews, this is not a sponsored post and our review is done completely independently. All photos are by Play & Go (July 2026).

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